Dangerous drugs symptoms and conditions

I started taking 20mg of Simvastatin on 10/17 due to high cholesterol. Five days later I came home from work feeling very tired and fell asleep. I woke up feeling severe flu like aches and pains in places I didn't know could hurt and then got the chills. I stayed home from work the next day and it's a good thing I did. I awoke with a severe cramp in my upper right thigh. I have always been prone to calf cramps so wasn't too concerned. However I stopped the meds on 10/22. This continued on a daily basis and I went to the dr on 10/27. I had an x-ray done which showed a bulging disc and some uncushioned discs. She put me back on the meds BUT with a COq10 am and pm and cut the pill in half. Do you think she knew it could be from the med? I foolishly restarted and by 11/4 took myself back off, had an MRI and such severe nerve pain in my right leg that I thought I would die. It was a bolt of lightening starting at my upper thigh and coming out the bottom of my foot. It felt like a hot poker running down my leg. The episodes were on a daily basis, would come every two hours, and could last as long as 45 minutes with no relief. I am now going for pain management and had an epidural a week ago which got rid of the nerve pain but I am still numb down my right leg to my right ankle. I have been healthy for years and feel that this was all brought on by Simvastatin. Any idiot can figure out that your nerves are running through your muscles. I am angry to think that this could have caused me permanent damage.

I took Zocor for 25 days when I suddenly had such pain at night in my upper arms that I couldn't raise my arms up at all. It's been 2 full weeks since I stopped taking Zocor, and every single night around 7 I develop severe pain somewhere in my body, usually in my hands, knees or feet. It's in a different place almost every night. Tonight it's in my left hand across the whole top of my hand, below the wrist. Can Zocor cause this kind of pain so long after stopping taking it? And I only took it for 25 days! Please help - this really hurts and I hope it will improve.

Wow it's amazing how at this time there is forty seven pages of people making this up! I really think the maker of this drug should be burned at the stake, I still have palpitations after taking this drug for about 8 months . I have been off of this drug for about 8 months now and feel way better then I did while taking it. I have started a diet and exercise plan and now my bp is normally 117 over 70 , I'd say thats pretty good for still being over weight (I have lost forty two pounds so far) I am not taking any meds right now because diet and exercise has worked so far for me . And I went through hell thinking I was dying while taking this med with the palpitations , chest pain , dizziness , fatigue , tingling in my hands and feet , burning sensation in my feet , and depression . Is anyone suing the maker of this drug ? I think we should all get together and get this off the market so nobody else has to go through this !

I'm only on 10mg Simvastatin and 10mg Lisinopril. I have type 1 diabetes and a minor TBI from a heat stroke. If I stop taking these then after a day or two I will start feeling barely controllable fits of rage. Sometimes I still get angry but for some reason the lisinopril and Simvastatin seem to ease it. I also have hypogonadism. I like my combo of simvastatin and lisinopril in the morning with my 20mg adderall. Little bit of redness on face but the benefits seem to outweigh.

So. I have read a lot here about side effects. What have you guys switched to (i.e. what BPM are you taking now)?

Who has switched to something else and been pleased with the results?

Need specifics please on an alternative.

I don't know if I can blame Zocor on my weak thighs--my doctor says that muscle weakness as a result of the drug should include all of my muscles. I've also developed an extremely itchy neck-also not sure if this is related. Weight keeps going up in spite of increased exercise and limiting daily caloric intake to below 1500 calories.

Started taking the Zocor generic Simvistatin just 2 days ago. My legs hurt so bad that I can not sleep. My right knee is swollen to the point I have very limited range of motion and can barely walk up stairs. It is after midnight and I can't sleep. Also having some angina and my little toe on my right foot is somewhat numb. I will be contacting my physician about this tomorrow. My cholesterol was 105 and this doesn't seem to be worth it to me!

I am not sure of the origin, but I have my issues outlined below since I switched to the mail order Simvastatin. I was getting it from Rite Aid for over 2 years without issues. I found out mail order Simvastatin was made by same company as Rite Aid, TEVA.

My issue is throbbing in neck, high blood pressure (HBP), twitching in eyes (prob due to HBP), uncomfortable in general. I also know that I took pill in morning and by 9am issue would start and get worse into lunchtime, where is was the worst, then subside by 2 or 3 pm. Doc said it was nerves and stress and gave a script for that. Also said get off of simvstatiin for 2 weeks. Well without much or any change to the stressors in my life work, stock market, etc, I am not experiencing the throbbing or HBP. I have not taken the script for stress or the Simvastatin either. Didn't like the idea doc said you can get addicted to stress pill. I will get back in Simvastatin shortly, but do expect to be back where I was within a week or so. Anyone else experience this throbbing and HBP.

I check back from time-to-time on this website. For me it's returning to the crime scene. It's like looking at an Alfred Hitchcock film, the one about a sociopath who observes a sea of humanity from a top of the ferris wheel, and concludes that humans are just so many ants for whom the observer should not be overly concerned. And so a large pharmaceutical company devised levaquin. From a top of the ferris wheel it appeared to big pharma that its medication helped many people and squashed only a few. It's a tad sinister. The anonymity of it all. The stunning ineptitude of the FDA. The lassitude. The profit motive. A pharmaceutical scourge adversely impacts the health & welfare of thousands upon thousands of ignorant and hopeful patients who put their trust in their doctors' hands. Harried doctors in turn put their trust in hapless pharmaceutical representatives who pass along trial packages of ludicrously-named meds, which the reps urge upon doctors too harried to read the insert's small print. In some instances the patients become deathly sick from the prescribed medications. But the patinet cannot discern cause and effect. "Are you nuts?" asked the doctor. You want me to believe that the pill caused the pain? No way. I'm your doctor, and I believe it not at all." But the pill DID cause the pain. Image the aftermath of levaquin where the patient experiences insomnia, depression, heart palpitations, profuse sweating, eye floaters, headaches, tendonopathy in the calves, ringing-in-the-ear, anxiety, and intense agitation. "Gee, doc, I only suffered a mite from prostatitis BEFORE I took your pills. But it seems like my life is on-hold, in suspended animation, after I took three pills from your five-pill prescription. Do you think there is any connection between taking the pills and the fact I feel so awful that I want to die?" Strangely the medical profession by and large sees no evil, hears no evil, smells no evil. The patient feels as if he were in one of H G Wells' short stories about a small island where medical experiments are performed routinely on caged and mute humanoids. The experimenters profess ignorance, visitors to the island remain ignorant about the experiments. Only the human guinea pigs know the full extent of the horror, but they remain drugged and too incapacitated to make any impact even upon the well intentioned. It's really ghoulish. It's fiendish. It's today's reality for many for whom the health care industry has run amok and gobbles up 16% of GNP.

I have been on Warfarin for 3 months.Fatigue, poor memory and definite increased sensitivity to heat and sunlight. I've always worked outside and this summer has been unbearable.I sweat profusely from average activity. I asked my dad who is also on warfarin if he felt tired or noticed the suns heat on his skin and he replied no. Of course my
Dr. said he had not heard of these symptoms. another side effect is ringing in my ears.

after 6 days of taking levaquin I developed severe shoulder and arm pain on both sides. Some days I can hardly use my arms. Lawyers don't want to take my case because I didn't suffer a rupture. What kind of crap is that? It's okay to have severe pain the rest of your life? My Dr. says it will go away. It's not. It's getting worse. Don't take this stuff unless you enjoy pain

Dizzy, like getting sucker punched in the head; dizzy while LYING DOWN? This also happened with other statin. While bending over to pick something up or tie a shoe, almost fell on my head. Yet, cardiologist thinks it's "all in my head." It sure IS!

Wow, what an eye opening experience it is to read all these posts! I was just about at the end of my rope thinking something was horribly wrong with me. Now I firmly believe it's the Levoxyl that is wrong.

I went on thyroid meds about a year and half ago for just slightly under active thyroid. I was actually lulled into it because the Doctor assured me it was a completely safe medicine and taking it would help me lose weight. Always a welcome thing. So I started on 50 mcg. I noticed some degree of improvement. I was sleeping better and having more energy during the day. Next checkup, the levels are in the normal range but just barely. So he doubled the dose. Two weeks later I broke out in a horrible itchy rash. I actually thought about the meds but then I didn't change meds, I was just taking more. I called the doctor and he said, "No this medication won't do that." So I change detergent, soap, everything I could think of and nothing worked. Finally I said, enough and I skipped a dose. During the day the rash got a lot better. Next morning I took another one and within and hour I was itching like crazy again. I stopped taking them, waited a week and called the doctor again and told them. His reaction was "You have to take this." I said, No, I don't and I won't. He actually argued with me that the rash could not be caused by the meds. Now I realize at that point I should have called another doctor but he's in my town, convenient, yada, yada, yada. Anyway he called me in another med which he said was the same active ingredient but different brand. Enter Levoxyl. I've been on 100 mcg for 3 months during which time I have felt progressively worse. Most of these things I didn't attribute to Levoxyl until later. Initially I noticed I was having the hot/cold flash thing. I have no comfort zone. I'm either flushed and sweating or chilled so my nights are spent constantly either searching for cover or kicking it off. Next thing I noticed is that my breasts would swell. Naturally that was a concern but about the time I would decide I needed to see about it, they would be normal for a few days. Sleep? What's that? Tired all the time. Started having confusion and forgetfulness. I even told my co-worker I thought I was losing my edge. I was all of a sudden forgetting things I had done automatically for over 15 years. Then the really scary stuff started. I would wake up in the middle of the night with my heart racing and feeling like I was in a fight for my life. I was afraid to go back to sleep. Joint aches and pains across my upper back, my knee. Tingling in my feet. It just keep getting worse and worse. Still didn't think of Levoxyl. Then Monday of this week I didn't have a pill to take. I forgot to get it refilled. Monday at lunch I told my husband I felt better than I'd felt in months. Tuesday took the regular dose. By noon the mental fog was back, back was hurting and I just felt like crap. Tuesday night went to bed early because I was so tired. 11:40 woke up with the worse anxiety attack I've ever had. Heart was pounding and I was breathless. Wednesday morning I got up and the light came on. I did not take the pill. Entered Levoxyl in google and found this site. I am so angry at my doctor I can hardly stand it. I even went to the official Levoxyl website and all these side effects are listed except for the swelling breasts and confusion but I've noticed several posts here that list those. During those two days I didn't take the freakin' pill both problems improved greatly. This morning, I reluctantly took half a pill. I plan to to that every other day for a few days then skip two days, then three, until I'm off of it. I don't know at this point what I'll do about my thyroid but I won't take this stuff and I won't ignore feeling like crap again. This is crazy. Where is the FDA? Oh yeah, being entertained by the drug companies. What a shame.

Thanks to everyone who has taken the time to post here. It is a sad commentary when we can't rely on our doctors to take care of us but we sure can't. If he had just told me about the bone loss, I would never have started this drug in the first place. My Mother suffered with that and that is something I would not trade for a few lost pounds and a little more energy. No thanks.

I was given 6 tablets to cure a sore throat. After the first 2 tablets, I suffered severe abdominal pain and was told to take Imodium to relieve the pain. When the pain went off, I continued taking the third and fourth pill but stopped taking it when I felt unwell. Then the chills and the crying started. I couldn't sleep and thought I was going crazy. I didn't make the connection until I read this website. It has been almost a month since I stopped taking the medication and like most of those who had suffered similar symptoms, I have never had any emotional or mental problems and this is scary. Someone should tell the drug company to post a serious warning on this awful side effect which can really destroy lives. Can someone who have found a solution tell me how long will this last and if there is any way to expedite relief of symptoms because I cannot even concentrate on work, sleep and carry on effectively with daily activities. Thank you.

Since July 12, 2009 (Saturday) my life has been altered by a cure for a UTI that caused me to be taken by ambulance to the E.R. with a 105.6 fever. The horrible feeling of waking up shaking from the fever and not being able to stop it was scary. That was quickly followed by an ambulance ride to the local E.R. It was explained to me that the cause of my fever was a UTI that became a kidney infection. The E.R. doctor prescribed Levaquin 500 mgs for 10 days and Lori-tab for the ache very typical of a kidney infection. I am a 42yo woman who owns a motorcycle, swims, dances with a group and loves to wear beautiful heels. My life has changed since that night in the E.R. July 14 (Tuesday) , I was in my doctor's office complaining about bad headaches and feeling achy. I asked if this should be a concern since headaches were part of the warning label. The response was to remain on the antibiotic since the benefit far outweighed the side effects. The rest of the week was full of aches, pains, swelling, and a cloudy mental state. By Friday, the 17th of July I was laying in bed after noticing I no longer had ankles and I hurt all over. Thinking maybe this would pass I rested for an hour and my partner came to check on me. My jaw was tight and felt like it was locking down, every part of my body, every joint was hurting including my head. I called my doctor's office and asked if this was an allergic reaction and should I go to the hospital. The on-call said she was at the E.R. and maybe I should come in to be seen although it would be a long wait time because they were busy. I was seen, they talked about finishing with Cipro and then decided they would give me Bactrim. I asked how long I could expect to feel the effect of the Levaquin, the answer was 3 to 4 days. Since then, I have been in and out of the E.R. with acute and chronic pain. Walking has become almost impossible on some days. All of a sudden I have a back and hip problem. I am getting lumbar epidurals now and have sold the motorcycle. Oh, Dr. Higgins said, "Levaquin is a great drug". This was a E.R. doctor that was angry that I asked if this seemed to be an on-going issue from taking Levaquin. I am desperate to be pain free for even one 24 hour period. A storm of depression and clouds have set in...the thunder is my pain....

What brought me to this site is the fact that I have a bitter taste in my mouth that gradually occurred since I have been on Simvastatin 40 mg for about three weeks. I have also noticed a strange burning/numbness in my heels only, which has also been gradual. I feel more sleepy most days and not what I would call fatigued, but just like I don't feel like doing anything. I eat more just to try to get the taste out of my mouth and don't feel like exercising. I also finally went back to my Pilates class and felt unbalanced when trying some simple stretches. I usually have excellent balance. I guess my question is: Are these things related, and are they going to just get worse?

I just read about a side effect from another member
He talks of pain in his inner elbows. Oh my I have that too, and I thought
it was because I strained that muscle when doing work. But it was so long ago. I still have the pain and find it hard to pick up things. Now I read about someone taking the same medication as me and having the same symptoms. I actually only take a half of a pill a day, but now i will discontinue it until I see my doctor (also my sleep pattern has been affected)
I did not have this problem when I took Lipitor.
I am hoping I can go back to Lipitor but maybe I will increase my exercise and not eat anymore junk food and then not have to take any of this silly medication.

I have some memory problems, forgetfulness, and "foggie" feeling. My co-workers have noticed the change in me - these symptoms were gradual; also trouble with insomnia (always had some trouble sleeping, but it seemed to increase with the lovastatin; some shoulder pain, and more headaches too.

I'm a 27 year old female who has been taking 5mg of Lisinopril for about 6 weeks now. I used to suffer from really bad headaches/migraines and ever since I started this medication I haven't had one at all. This is amazing since I used to go through a bottle of Excedrin a month. Lately I've noticed lots of joint pain and pain in my knees.

It's terrible, I feel like an old lady and I'm only 27. I'm glad I found this site, I'm going to try to switch to a different medication ASAP. I've also noticed I've been spotting and having an abnormal period.. not sure if that's related to the medication though.

80 mg prescribed over 18mth period - shoulder pain began after one year - acute pain at night', diminishing rotational capability during the day. Second shoulder pain followed soon after with same symptoms. Feels as if the joint is becoming unstable and the moving skeletal components rubbing together and jarring.(clicks,clonks felt & heard) GP immediately took me off them and arranged physio. After two weeks without simvastatin there is no change/ relief in symptoms

My daughter had a kenalog shot for itching on May 2009. The doctor never mentioned any side effects to her. Now she has a huge indentation in her left buttock. She is only 18 yrs old and she is scare and afflicted because the dent is getting larger and disfiguring that part of her body. I read enough complains. There must be an action lawsuit against the company distributing, selling and benefiting from this drug. Some doctors also should be liable for neglecting to release the accurate potential damage (as it is known) cause by this drug. It is causing mental pain and anguish due to the disfigurement that it leaves and also constant concern about the growing destruction of the muscle cells.Enough damage have been done. Who will pay to correct the damage? ******

i am on flomax 0.8 mg, for 1 month, and i have terrible knee pain, is this a side effect of flomax ? or rheumatoid arthritis. they only mention back pain in the package insert

It appears to be, not quite all the facts in yet, but my cardiologist put me on a Lipitor hiatis to see if some of my arrhythmia issues, dizziness and light headedness may be associated with Lipitor.
After just 4 days, I am feeling pretty good! Could be placebo? I don't think so.
After being taken from work in an ambulance to the hospital and experiencing 48 hours worth of testing for a possible coronary, I asked my doctor to examine the possibility of Lipitor causing the symptoms.
I do not have a family history of heart disease. I eat well and am a moderate exerciser. When I was bumped up from 20 mg. to 40 mg. around 6 months ago, my symptoms started.
I have to decide now how much of an elevated cholesterol level I am willing to "live" with. My cardiologist said if it turns out to be the Lipitor, we'll try Zocor and maybe get a higher cholesterol level on my labs, but that's okay. How low does the low need to be??

My 8yr old son just started Lamictal five days ago, yesterday he started having severe muscle/leg pains..What do I do?

Cholesterol slightly elevated Dr. recommended 10mg dosage. Began experiencing neck and shoulder pain, dizziness, nausea, foot stiffness and leg numbness up to the lower thigh. Voluntarily stopped the medication after four months. All noticed side effects disappeared except for the foot stiffness and leg numbness. It has been 2 1/2 years and these remaining side effects are constant. Not optimistic for recovery. Anyone else with similar symptoms?